MLB Player News

Sterner allowed a walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning Wednesday against the Rangers. He's thrown 14.2 scoreless innings to begin the season.

Sterner has an impressive 29.6% strikeout rate and hasn't allowed a Barrel this season. However, he's been a bit lucky with a 14.8% walk rate and a .200 BABIP. His early success could find him used in higher-leverage spots as he's mostly worked in middle relief thus far.

Harvey (shoulder) is scheduled for a bullpen session Thursday with optimism that he can begin a rehab assignment next week, MLB.com reports.

Harvey landed on the 15-day injured list April 11 due to a right teres major strain. He's progressed enough in his recovery that he started playing catch, and he now looks set to take the next step in his throwing program.

Waddell allowed three hits and struck out four batters over 4.1 scoreless relief innings in a no-decision against Arizona on Wednesday.

Waddell was called up from Triple-A ahead of Wednesday's contest and was immediately put to use in a bullpen game for New York. The southpaw entered in the third inning and ended up taking on a near-starter's workload, tossing 60 pitches (40 of which were strikes) over 4.1 scoreless frames. This was Waddell's first MLB appearance since he tallied nine relief outings over stints with three different teams in 2021, as he spent the three subsequent years overseas.

Thompson earned a save against the Mets on Wednesday, issuing an intentional walk and striking out one batter in one scoreless inning.

Arizona brought out Justin Martinez to pitch the ninth frame with the team up three runs, but he surrendered a leadoff homer followed by two walks before getting the hook. Thompson entered and immediately hit Pete Alonso with a pitch to load the bases, but he was able to get out of the jam with just one more run -- which was charged to Martinez -- crossing the plate. With A.J. Puk (elbow) on the injured list, Thompson could get an occasional save chance in games during which Martinez is ineffective or unavailable. However, Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel are also candidates for those opportunities, so fantasy managers probably shouldn't rush to pluck Thompson off their waiver wires.

Estevez picked up the save in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Rays after allowing two hits in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.

Estevez allowed the possible tying run to get to the plate Wednesday, but he punched out Taylor Walls and got Chandler Simpson to fly out to hold on for the save. The hard-throwing right-hander has yielded nine walks over 15 innings this year, but he's conceded just eight hits and hasn't served up a home run yet. Estevez has settled in as Kansas City's clear favorite for saves, submitting a 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 13:9 K:BB while converting nine of his 11 save chances.

Bednar came away with the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cubs, allowing one hit while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning without issuing a walk.

Bednar got the call to come in for the ninth inning, tasked with preserving a one-run lead. He yielded a single after getting the first two batters out, but Bednar ended things with a three-pitch punchout of Jon Berti. Since being recalled by the Pirates on April 19, Bednar has posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, with eight strikeouts and two saves over six innings. He appears to have reclaimed his spot as the Pirates' main closer, though Dennis Santana (personal) could still be in the mix once he's back from the bereavement list.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Young may need to undergo Tommy John surgery, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Young landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a sprained left elbow, but he now may be at risk of missing the rest of the season plus a significant portion of the 2026 campaign. The Mets will know more about how to properly handle the southpaw's injury within the next few days, but he's likely facing an extended absence even if he doesn't undergo surgery.

Halvorsen struck out two in a perfect eighth inning Wednesday to record his first hold of the season in a 2-1 win over Atlanta.

The 25-year-old righty hasn't notched a save since March 29, blowing his only other chance April 22, and the Rockies elected to use Halvorsen in a setup role Wednesday while letting Zach Agnos handle the ninth and pick up his first career save. Halvorsen did face Atlanta's 9-1-2 hitters, striking out Eddie Rosario and Austin Riley, so it was still a very high-leverage spot. Tyler Kinley, who hasn't pitched since Saturday, also figures to be in the closer mix for Colorado, but the team's 5-25 record hasn't provided many opportunities for manager Bud Black to reveal his tendencies with his current bullpen. On the season, Halvorsen has a 4.26 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB through 12.2 innings.

Agnos gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his first career save in a 2-1 win over Atlanta.

The 24-year-old rookie handled the heart of Atlanta's order on 14 pitches (eight strikes), as he staked his claim to being part of the closer picture for the Rockies. Seth Halvorsen picked up his first hold of the season with a perfect eighth inning, while Tyler Kinley hasn't pitched since Saturday after walked four batters and getting tagged for three runs (two earned) in his last two appearances. Agnos has an impressive arsenal and high-leverage experience in the minors, but so far he's had trouble putting away big-league hitters -- while he has yet to allow a run in 6.1 innings for Colorado, he has just a 1:0 K:BB.

Matz didn't factor into the decision in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Reds, allowing five hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The southpaw may not have been available for a full workload after working in relief Saturday, but Matz gave the Cards 73 pitches (55 strikes) in an impressive outing, including 26 called or swinging strikes. He's been brilliant in a swingman role to begin the season, posting a 1.50 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB through 24 innings. If St. Louis sticks with a six-man rotation into May, Matz would line up to make his next start at home early next week against the Pirates.